1. For their access to information, French people favor the Internet and television
From a general perspective, in France, the Internet and television remain the two main sources of information. Despite a significant drop observed in print newspapers in recent years, their usage now appears to be stabilizing around 15%.
Online, consumption habits are varied. Since 2021, social networks have become the preferred gateway to content produced by media outlets, ahead of direct access via websites or applications. Today, 30% of survey respondents say they primarily use social networks to access online news.
Facing this widening gap over several years, Alice Antheaume advocates for diversifying the means of accessing information: "If you're counting on people accessing a homepage by typing, for example, "Médianes.org", "Le Figaro.fr" or "Le Monde.fr", you're essentially a dead media outlet. That's not how access works anymore. There's a real platformization of content happening, which means access occurs through the places where most users already spend their time, occasionally encountering news content that might interest them".
2. Distrust of Algorithms
Yet this use of social media comes with growing distrust among users toward these platforms, more specifically toward the algorithms that govern how they work. If in 2016, 48% of people under 35 believed that content curation based on their consumption habits was a good way to access information, only 35% do so today.
A phenomenon that might seem paradoxical, but which doesn't surprise Alice Antheaume: "Questions of ambivalence aren't just about social media, they're everywhere. I'll give you another example: BFM TV. One of the most criticized channels and yet it's consumed heavily. So when it comes to ambivalence, you always have this back-and-forth movement between 'I consume it this way, while criticizing this way of doing things.' It's actually something very common and we'll find it year after year, not just when it comes to social media".
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In response to this rejection, some users, particularly younger ones, are attempting to influence these mechanisms imposed by social media platforms by encouraging or limiting the presence of certain content. The report indicates that 65% of those under 35 and 55% of those over 35 "have tried to influence the selection of articles by following or unfollowing accounts, muting or blocking them, or adjusting other settings". Among their motivations, internet users explain that they want to promote more reliable information, consult diverse perspectives, or limit toxic content. Only a small percentage wish to make their feed more entertaining.
“We’re seeing growing awareness and maturity emerge around the issue of platforms,” observes Alice Antheaume, who notes, however, that not all audiences are mindful of the content they’re exposed to: “You have a two-pronged trend. There are people who have been on platforms for a while and who, in a way, are trying to ‘educate the platform.’ Then there’s pure and simple consumption, without much thought about the source or the content—almost passive, or at least somewhat robotic.”
4. TikTok, a new gateway to information for young people?
Among all these platforms, Facebook is losing ground, facing competition from YouTube and TikTok. In 2016, 42% of respondents said they used Facebook for information. Today, that figure is 28%. TikTok, for its part, has seen strong growth since 2020.
It is primarily younger audiences who consult information on the social network.
Could this popularity convince media outlets to venture in pursuit of new audiences? While some newsrooms have managed to build an audience on the platform, like Monde or Alternatives Economiques for example, others are more reluctant, cautions Alice Antheaume: "Last December, we organized a day at Sciences Po about TikTok and information. We shared best and worst practices and all the publishers who were there were asking themselves whether to go or not. Those who were already present explained why they were doing it. (...) There were also many people at that event who said: 'Honestly, what's the point? I don't have any data I can collect. It's a huge investment and sometimes, indeed, an editorial positioning that is even partly modified to match the needs of TikTok audiences.' In the end, I found it to be very mixed"
Indeed, TikTok users display different interests than audiences on other platforms. On the app, it's personalities and influencers (55%) and ordinary people (44%) who generate the most interest. Mainstream (33%) and alternative (31%) media are less popular.
5. Distrust of the media is particularly pronounced in France
In France, distrust of the media has reached a historically high level. 38% of respondents said they trusted the media in 2015, a figure that has now dropped to 30%. "France has always been a country that placed little trust in the information it was given," recalls Alice Antheaume, "in the 46 countries studied, we have unfortunately always ranked very low overall".
Among the causes cited, the report points for example to criticism of the media, with a correlation between this type of discourse and distrust. But the work carried out on media by editorial teams like Arrêt sur images or the Revue des Médias de l'INA, on the other hand contributes to necessary transparency work. For Alice Antheaume, the media can themselves contribute to this: "There are for example efforts being made to explain the news-making process. Perhaps it's not being done enough yet. But it also helps people understand how information is produced. How does it work? What are the constraints? And then, for example, a whole transparency policy on corrections can help strengthen relationships".
6. French people are losing interest in news, even avoiding it
The report also notes a decline in interest in news. With a loss of 23 points compared to 2015, France is among the countries experiencing the steepest drop. The Reuters Institute also looked into a particular phenomenon: disconnection. Beyond a lack of interest, some of the public prefers to avoid exposure to current events, particularly on topics that may be considered anxiety-inducing.
In 2017, 29% of them deliberately avoided information. This habit is now adopted by 36% of survey respondents.
The subjects that are rejected vary between different countries and the political orientation of respondents. However, the war in Ukraine is among the most cited topics (39%), followed by national politics (38%) and then issues around social justice (31%). How can media account for this phenomenon while ensuring complete and fair coverage of current events? "There are still very clever ways to provide information without scaring people away," says Alice Antheaume, "and I think that's really down to the intelligence of journalists and editorial teams, knowing where to set the bar without distorting their positioning and their responsibility. Of course, if you start giving information that scores impressively, you're going to miss out on very important topics." Among the avenues to explore, she also identifies a certain gap concerning the explanation of topics that are sometimes difficult to understand and contextualize. "Those we ask about their disengagement also say there's another part: they feel it's not well explained. (...) Besides, what editorial teams call 'educational' pieces are formats that work very well, that let you take stock, and which, for now, are giving good results. This corresponds to that need for contextualization."
7. French people are less inclined to pay for online information …
With a score of 11%, France ranks at the bottom of the list, ahead of the United Kingdom and Japan, both at 9%.
47% of non-subscribers even say that nothing could convince them to change their minds, and 29% want cheaper or more flexible subscriptions. This finding got Alice Antheaume thinking. “ I did ask quite a few news publishers to see if they were seeing any attempts to negotiate subscription terms. They’re conducting quite a few studies of their own to figure out whether they should offer discounts, special ‘purchasing power’ deals, etc. … For now, everyone I’ve interviewed has told me they don’t see the need for it and that it doesn’t align with their audience’s expectations. That doesn’t mean it won’t happen, but let’s just say that for now, this figure isn’t factored into media strategy. I think this will change because people are scrutinizing their bills, and it was perhaps a little too early—when we began drafting the report—to talk about inflation.”
8. … but less able to afford multiple subscriptions.
Another notable feature: France is one of the few countries where there is a trend toward holding more than one subscription to a news publication. The report suggests that the existence of a number of discounted offers could explain this phenomenon but does not provide any further explanation. “We looked into this figure, since it differed from other countries,” says Alice Antheaume. “Together with the Digital News Report team, we tried to understand why it was different in France—why there were two subscriptions—and I made a lot of phone calls… I don’t have the answer to that question. It’s one of the mysteries of this study. I don’t know why. I hope I’ll find the answer—if you find it, let me know (laughs).”
While there is no evidence to confirm that the deep discounts offered by news publishers are leading French people to sign up for multiple subscriptions, these offers nonetheless pose a concern for the coming year, according to the Reuters Institute, which predicts that churn (Editor’s note: the loss of subscribers) “is likely to become a major problem in the coming year and beyond.” However, Alice Antheaume reassures us that this issue is well understood and anticipated by news publishers. “I think they’re well aware of it. In some countries studied by the Digital News Report, we’re already seeing these cost-cutting strategies emerge in households that are trying to cut back on what isn’t essential. I’ve reached out to publishers to find out if this has become an issue in terms of reader disengagement and reasons for unsubscribing since inflation and purchasing power have been in the news—so far, the answer is no. But they’re well aware of it.”
Face à ces enjeux, les médias français développent de nouveaux modèles afin de s'adapter aux réalités économiques du secteur. « La très grande chance en France, c’est qu’on a un grand modèle de diversité de médias, se réjouit Alice Antheaume, dans le positionnement éditoriale mais aussi dans le business model. Il faut un peu de tout. Il y en a qui sont sur la publicité, ceux qui sont sur de l’abonnement et il y a ceux qui sont dans des stratégies de diversification … C'est vraiment la richesse des médias en France ».
9. Will Advances in AI Be on the Agenda of the 2024 Digital News Report?
The report makes only brief mention of artificial intelligence and its impact on online information, but given the interest—or concern—it is generating in the media industry, it could be the subject of a more in-depth study for the next edition of the report. “In my opinion, next year, in the upcoming Digital News Report 2024, this will be a major topic we’ll be examining,” says Alice Antheaume. “That said, for now, the trend in France is to issue guidelines stating: ‘I’m addressing this issue; I have a framework in place, and I’m not pretending it doesn’t exist.’” This has indeed been the case in France, with *Le Parisien*, as well as across the Channel at *The Guardian*. But as Alice Antheaume points out, the use of artificial intelligence is far from new. “I’m thinking, for example, of *Le Parisien*, which has a news monitoring system—particularly in the various localities they cover—to help journalists set up a slightly more effective monitoring system. But is this widely known? I think we have to acknowledge that it’s been around for a long time. We’re indeed moving into a new phase, because its use is more widespread and because it raises a lot of questions about content production—how far we’ll go in terms of images, videos, and so on. But it’s not entirely new either.”
10. Is the importance placed on public service media changing?
While the report highlights the trust placed in public service media—which the French public consults regularly—those surveyed are less likely to consider public service media “essential” (22% of the French public say that public service media is not important to them).
Could the end of the TV license fee—which the government enacted last year—along with the debates surrounding the privatization of public media, have an impact on the French people’s relationship with public service broadcasting? “I don’t have a crystal ball,” replies Alice Antheaume, “but it’s going to be very interesting to study.”
To go further
- Read the full 2023 report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.
- You can also read the report written by Alice Antheaume on trends and habits among French people.
